Della Architettura Di Leon Battista Alberti Libri X. Della Pittura Libri III. Della Statua Libro I. Tradotti In Lingua Italiana Da Cosimo Bartoli. Nova Edizione Divisa In Tre Tomi, Da Giacomo Leoni Veneziano, Architetto Con Aggiunta Di Varj Suoi Disegni Di Edificj Publici E Privati. Tomo I. (Tomo II.)
Vol. I.: [Front., t.-pp., licence, dedic.] - Il Proemio / The Preface - Della Architettura / The Architecture [books 1-5]. - Vol. II: [T.-pp.] - Della Architettura / The Architecture [books 6-10]. - Vol. III: .
Responsibility Note
Leoni is believed to have been assisted in the English translation by John Ozell.
The frontispiece is signed as engraved by B. Picart. Most plates are signed as drawn by I. Leoni and engraved by, or under the direction of, B. Picart; plates [52-54] of Volume II are signed as drawn by B. Picart.
The work is dedicated by Leoni to George, Prince of Wales (afterwards King George II).
References
RIBA, Early printed books, 1 (1994), 48; E. Harris and N. Savage, British architectural books (1990), p.107-9. Johns Hopkins University, The Fowler Architectural Collection (1961), no. 11, p.10-11.
On Leoni see R. Hewlings, 'James Leoni', in The architectural outsiders, ed. R. Brown (1985), p. 21-44. Studies of Alberti include L. Boschetto, Leon battista Alberti e Firenze (2000); Leon Battista Alberti: architettura e cultura: atti del convegno ... 1994 (1999); C. Van Eck, 'The structure of De re aedificatoria reconsidered', in Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 57:3 (1998), p.280-97.
ESTC, T32316, T32315
Summary Note
The English title page of Volume I reads, 'The Architecture Of Leon Battista Alberti In Ten Books. Of Painting In Three Books And Of Statuary In One Book. Translated Into Italian By Cosimo Bartoli. And Now First Into English, And Divided Into Three Volumes By James Leoni, Venetian, Architect; To Which Are Added Several Designs Of His Own, For Buildings Both Public And Private. Vol. I.' The title pages of Volume II read, 'Della Architettura Di Leon Battista Alberti Della Edizione Di Giacomo Leoni Tomo II' and 'The Architecture Of Leon Battista Alberti Published By James Leoni, Vol. II'. Although the title pages are dated 1726, plates [52-54] of Volume II are dated 1727, and the licence (copyright privilege) bound into Volume I is dated 1730.
The text is printed in English and Italian in parallel.
Alberti's De re aedificatoria, presented to Pope Nicolas V in 1452, was the first Renaissance treatise on architecture. In it Alberti addresses not only architectural principles but also the relations between patron and architect and methods of construction.
Reproductions
Microfilm versions were published in 2003 (Woodbridge, Conn.: Primary Source Microfilm) and 1986 (Woodbridge, CT: Research Publications).
Provenance
Recorded in RAA Library, Catalogue, 1802.
Copy Note
Imperfect; lacks Volume III. The title page of Volume I is inscribed in ink, 'J. French'.
Binding Note
18th-century mottled calf; 20th-century red morocco spine-labels lettered 'Alberti Architettura Vol. I. (II.)'.
Subject
Architecture - Painting - Sculpture - Theory
Architecture - Painting - Sculpture - Italy - 15th century - Renaissance
Treatises - Italy - 15th century
Treatises - Translations into English - Translations from Italian - Great Britain - 18th century